A Jefferson County judge this morning denied youthful offender requests in the capital murder cases against Carlton Davis and Shirell Smith. (The Birmingham News file)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Two teenagers' hearings in a capital murder case were held this morning in a Jefferson County judge's chambers after an altercation outside the courtroom had to be defused by court security officers.

A family member of a co-defendant and a family member of the man who was killed were handcuffed and held in contempt of court after the confrontation.

The men were attending hearings for two teenagers seeking youthful offender status on capital murder charges. Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Clyde Jones denied each of their requests, ruling that they will be tried as adults.

Jones, who had called a brief recess so that he could read letters from defendant Carlton Cameron Davis' teachers, family and friends, was in his office when the fight broke out.

He ordered the men involved in the fight be sent to the Jefferson County jail for seven days, according to a court official.

The teenagers who appeared before the judge - Shirell Smith, 16, and Davis, 17 - each face two charges of capital murder and one assault charge.

One capital murder charge involves murder during a robbery, and the other involves murder while the victim is in a car.

Under Alabama law, anyone under the age of 21 who is charged with a crime can apply for youthful offender status.

The nature of the crime and a defendant's criminal history are factors in a judge's decision. If granted, the maximum sentence a judge can give is three years.

During the hearing in the judge's office, Jones was presented with about 20 letters attesting to Davis' character, and several members of Ellis' family testified, said Davis' attorney, John Lentine.

The judge denied the request for youthful offender status based on the facts and circumstances surrounding the shooting, Lentine said.

About 10:20 on June 26, Birmingham police were called to the 1500 block of Avenue I in Ensley.

West Precinct officers were investigating a report of a disturbance and shots fired when they found Ellis unresponsive in the front passenger seat of a wrecked vehicle. He was taken to UAB Hospital, where he died.

They also found Christopher Bradley, who had been assaulted and was taken to UAB Hospital for treatment.

Smith and Davis were booked into the Jefferson County jail the day after the shooting.

According to court records, Smith is still being held in jail, but Davis was released in September on $250,000 bond.

"The problem is whether Carlton or anybody like Carlton can be charged under the capital offense statute," Lentine said. "Until the Supreme Court of Alabama says 'Yes, you can' or 'No, you can't,' we're all sort of having to go through the motions. If the court rules that you can't be charged under that statue, the landscape changes."

The state Supreme Court will hear arguments March 6 in the appeals of Rashad Stoves and Larry Henderson, who both are fighting to have their capital murder indictments dismissed in different cases. Neither case has gone to trial.

Lentine asked the court to stay the proceedings against Davis pending those arguments, but the judge did not grant the stay. Davis' case will be reevaluated in May to see if the court has issued a decision.